Coming to America: Things Are Different from My Country

by Samira Ahmed

My first
experience coming from Ethiopia was obeying traffic lights and
visiting movies. I also experienced traveling by bus. Watching TV on
different channels was also a new experience. I watched TV every day
before I found a job. The TV told me that in the U.S. nothing is a
secret. No one hides anything from the public. I say this because I
saw many things on talk shows. This would be shameful in my
country.

America is very different from my country. Here everything is made
to use in
an easy way to make life easy for people. But in my country
everything is difficult to use. For example there are very few buses
in Ethiopia. If you miss the bus you have to wait at least for two
hours. If you are lucky and the bus comes after two hours but there
are many people on the bus - at least a hundred people. If is very
crowded. Sometimes you can pass the stop and you can't get off
because the bus does not stop. You have to scream for the driver to
stop the bus. But because of so many people your voice doesn't reach
to the driver!

I thought Americans would stare at me because I am different from
them. But they didn't because there are different kinds of citizens I
found here also.

Even though there are people from many countries here, some people
not want to talk to someone that does not speak their language. I say
this because I saw them at school as well as at my work place. They
act like they don't see you even though, we meet everyday. They don't
say "hi." As other Americans until I say "hi" first.

I have not experienced bad things so far and I have been here for
four month. I sometimes miss my country but no too much. I think it
is because all my family is here with me except my daddy who lives in
Saudi Arabia.

Copyright Silver International Newspaper 2001 (This page was
created by Junior Max Destine.)